Manufacture of footwear



- y 1941- A. F. BANCROFT 2,241,440

MANUFACTURE OF FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 4, 1938 Patented May 13, 1941 MANUFACTURE OF FOOTWEAR Albert F. Bancroft, West NewtomMasa, assignor to Bancroft-Walker Company, Waltham, Mass., a. corporation of Massachusetts Application August 4, 1938, Serial No. 222,956

14 Claims.

This invention pertains to the manufacture of footwear'and more particularly to footwear in which the upper contains one or more inserts of elastic goring, and relates more especially to an improved process of making such footwear and to a step-product evolved in such process.

In making shoe uppers having inserted pieces of elastic goring it is customary, in preparation for lasting, to provide the elastic insert or gore with some means which makes it temporarily non-stretchable, at least adjacent to its upper edge. Otherwise the laster might make one shoe of a pair tighter than the other by lasting it down too hard, or might fail to bring the other portions of the upper down snugly to the wood by reason of the greater stretchability of the goring material. The temporary elimination of stretch in the gore is usually accomplished by disposing a length of substantially inextensible tape or the like at the inner side of the gore and stitching the ends of the tape to adjacent parts of the shoe upper at the same time that the gore is stitched in place,the tape remaining in position during the lasting operation and then being cut out so as to free the gore so that it may stretch to its full capacity. However, in making the finer grades of shoes it would be desirable to place the elastic gore under a certain degree of tension during lasting in order to ensure a. snug fit, but the restraining member of the tape usually employed is substantially non-stretching, as above noted, so that the gore receives none of the lasting stress and thus in the finished shoe may not lie as snug and close to the wearers foot as fine shoe-making demands. On the other hand, when using lasts of certain styles, the lasting of the gored upper with its usual nonstretching restraining tape may result in an upper which-is too tight (the dimensions of the human foot remaining the same regardless of vagaries in shoe design).

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of making shoes having uppers, including elastic inserts, whereby a predetermined definite degree of stretch may be imparted to the elastic insert during lasting, so that a well-fitting shoe is assured regardless of itsstyle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel shoe upper, as a step-product evolved in the invention will be pointed out hereafter in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe upper embodying certain features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a restrainer element for use in the practice of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a transverse diagrammatic section through the vamp portion of the shoe upper adjacent to its top edge, showing the parts as they appear before the lasting operation;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the arrangement of the parts when the lasting operation is near completion;

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating a modified form of restrainer;

Fig. 6 is a section, generally similar to that of 4 Fig. 3, showing the mode of use .of the restrainer of Fig. 5;

Fig, 7 is a plan view of a further form of restrainer; and

.Fig. 8 is a view generally similar to Fig. 3 i1- lustrg-ting the mode of use of the restrainer of Fig,

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates a shoe upper ready for lasting and constituting a step-product evolved during the practice of the improved method herein'disclosed. Except for the novel features hereinafter more fully described, this upper may be of substantially conventional type comprising the outer member 2 which may be of leather or other suit- .able and desirable material, the lining 3 usually of textile fabric and the backer or reinforce.

member 4 also usually of textile fabric. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the upper may include a facing 5, whichmay be of thin leather or the like, and which provides a finish for the top edge of the upper. As shown, the throat opening or vent is provided with a gore 6 of elastic fabric, for example textile material (having inclusions of rubber threads) of the kind which is commonly used in making elastic inserts, gores or panels for shoe uppers. Usually this goring material is stretchable in but one direction and when inserted in a shoe the stretch is transversely of the shoe, that is to say, in a direction substantially parallel with the upper edge of the inserted gore or panel.

When such gores are inserted in shoe uppers; it is customary to provide some ldnd of restraining means to prevent undue stretch of the goring material during the lasting operation. Usually this restrainer consists of a piece of inextensible tape disposed in face-to-face contact with the gore and so as to extend transversely across the gore, that isto say, in the direction in which the gore normally stretches, and v iich is secured at its opposite ends to the material of the upper adjacent to the lateral edges of the gore so that this tape takes the lasting stress and thus relieves the gore material from being stretched to any appreciable degree during the lasting operation.

In accordance with the present invention provision is made whereby a certain predetermined definite degree of stretch may be imparted to the goring during lasting, so that when the shoe is completed and placed on the wearer's. foot the goring will tend to contract to a sufficient degree to lie smooth and snug against the foot and will not show any looseness or tendency to crinkle.

In accordance with one procedure, as illustrated for example in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a restrainer 1 is first prepared. This restrainer preferably consists of a piece of substantially inelastic textile tape, which is initially somewhat longer, than the maximum width of the unstretched gore. Having provided this length of tape, it is then subjected to a pleating operation such as to provide one or more bights 8, each having substantially parallel legs 9 which are united by stitches formed of a frangible thread Hi. This pleating and formation of bights in the length of tape shortens the latter so that its normal length, that is to say, its length exclusive of the material in the bights, is substantially equal to that of the unstretched gore, it being noted that the aggregate length of the tape material used in forming the bights 8 substantially equals the total elongation of the goring which is to take place during lasting. This restrainer element is now laid flat against the inside surface 01' thegore (Fig. 3) so as to extend transversely across the latter, usually near the upper edge of the gore, and the ends of the restrainer are secured to the upper material at opposite sides of the throat opening at the same time that the goring is sewed in place, as by mean of the seam II.

Assuming that the upper has now been completed, as illustrated in Fig. 1, it is assembled on a last with a sole member in the usual manner and is subjected to lasting stress. During this lasting operation the stress applied is such as to break the frangible thread It), which previously held the legs 9 of the bight or bights 8 together, thus permitting the restrainer I to elongate to a predetermined definite degree substantially equaling the amount of material which had previously been employed in forming the bight or bights 8. However, when this definite and predetermined amount 01. material has been straightened out as permitted by the breakage of the threads ID, the fully extended restrainer prevents any further stretching of the goring material, and at completion of lasting, the parts present the appearance shown in Fig. 4, wherein it will be noted that the goring is extended to a greater length than it is in Fig. 3. This difference in straight-line length of the goring before and after lasting represents the amount of stretch which the goring receives during lasting and thus represents the degree to which the goring tends to contract after the last has been withdrawn from the upper.

It may be noted that following the process just described, although the upper is restrained to a definite degree during lasting, so that the goring can be subjected only to a predetermined and desired amount of stretch, nevertheless in the completed shoe the goring is under tension when the shoe is worn and thus tends to hug the foot snugly and to ensure a neat and well fitted appearance.

Obviously the amount of stretch to which the goring is subjected depends upon the size or number of the. bights 8 formed in the restrainer previous to lasting and thus by the means herein described the goring may be safely subjected to almost any desired degree of stress but with the assurance that the total stretch will not exceed the desired amount.

As alreadypointed out, variations in shoe style frequently result in changes in the contour and cubic dimensions 01. lasts 01' the same nominal size. Thus, though a given last may nominally be of standard size, it may actually be so small that a shoe lasted upon such a last designed for a particular style will be tight when worn on a normal human foot which ought' to be properly fitted by a shoe of that nominal size. When the shoe during manufacture embodies an elastic insert and a restrainer of the usual inextensible type and when such a shoe is lasted snugly over a last of abnormally small dimensions for its numerical size, it may be found that after com-' pletion of the shoe and removal of the restrainer device, the goring is so tight as to cause dis comfort to the wearer of the shoe. According to the present invention this difliculty is overcome by the procedure illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, a restrainer device 1, consisting of a piece of inextensible tape, is furnished with index means II, for example, suitable marks, notches, perforations or the like, adjacent to its opposite ends and spaced apart a predetermined definite distance somewhat less than the unstretched transverse dimensions of the goring in the finished shoe. gore 6 of elastic material and united to the other portions of the upper by means of sewed seams ll located at the respective index marks I! in such a manner that between the points of attachment of the goring and restrainer member to the upper, the goring bows outwardly, as indi cated at 6*, while the restrainer I is substantially straight, forming in effect the chord of the arc constituted by the bowed-out goring.

Having thus assembled the parts and completed the upper, the shoe is lasted in the usual manner, and during lasting the lasting stress is taken up by the restrainer I so that the goring is not stretched. After the lasting is completed, the

restrainer 1 is cut out or otherwise removed between the edges 2 of the upper, thus allowing the goring to straighten out and in effect to become longer. Thus the initial distancebetween the edges 2* may be increased by a predetermined amount, dependent upon the degree to which the goring is bowed out prior to lasting. Thus even though the shoe be lasted on a last of a style so extreme that the cubic capacity of the shoe is abnormally small for its numerical size, yet the top portion of the upper of the completed shoe may be of such dimensions as to insure comfort to the wearer, the effective length of the restrainer 1, as defined by the index marks l2,

preferably being such as to ensure a slight degree of stretch of the goring when the shoe is worn.

As a variant of the method just described, the

This restrainer is now associated with a.

' while its edges ing as steps procedure illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8 may be followed. In accordance with this procedure the restrainer tape 1 is made somewhat longer than the desired width shoe and this tape is first laid fiat against the inner surface of the goring and is secured together with the goring to the other portions of the shoe upper. Then, prior to lasting, one or more pleats are formed in the restrainer 1 so as to constitute the bights IS, the parallel legs of which are permanently frangible threads ll, The upper 2* are prevented by the restrainer from separating. and then, after lasting is completed, the restrainer is cut out adjacent to the edges 2, thereby permitting said edges, to separate to a predetermined definite degree, dependent upon the amount of bowing resultant from the formation of thebights in the restrainer member,-the final result being the same as that obtained in the practice of the process illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

While certain desirable embodiments of the invention have been illustrated by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to these precise embodiments but is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications thereof which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Method of upper includes an making footwear wherein the elastically stretchable element containing rubber threads, said method comprisso assembling with the upper an elongate substantially inelastic restraining element that the restraining element extends substantially in the direction of stretch of the elastic element, uniting opposite ends of the restraining element to the upper at points adjacent to the opposite edges respectively of the stretchable element with one of said elements extending substantially straight from one point of union to the other, while the second of said elements is of a length, between said points of union, greater, by a definite amount, than the straight line distance between said points of union, lasting the upper, including its associated restraining element, and thereafter removing the restraining element.

2. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps initiating the lasting operation while the opposite edges of the gore are connected by restraining means so as to be closer together by a definite amount the newly finished, unworn and unstretched shoe, and, after lasting is complete, releasing said edges of the gore from the restraining means.

3. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method distance between the connecting means at the eral edges of the gore to a restraining element having an initial effective length less than the distance between the connecting means at the lateral edges of the gore when the unrestrained gore is stretched, lasting the upper together with its included restraining element, and during lasting causing the restraining element to elongate by a definite predetermined amount.

4. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps providing a restraining element having an initial length less than the distance between the connecting means at the lateral edges of the gore when the unrethan is desired in of the goring in the completed strained gore is stretched, but capable, when subjected to sufficient stress, of elongating a definite amount only, connecting the ends of said restainlng element to the opposite lateral edges of the gore, and, while lasting the shoe, imposing suflicient stress upon the restraining element to elongate it by said definite amount.

5. Method of making footwear wherein the uqper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps providing a restrainer in the form of a length of tape having a bight intermediate its ends which initially shortens it by a definite amount, the legs of said bight being united by means capable of releasing the bight-forming material to straighten out when the restrainer is subjected to sufficient stress, securing the ends of said restrainer to opposite lateral edges of the gore, and, while lasting the shoe, imposing sufficient stress upon the restrainer to cause the bight-forrning material to straighten, thereby to permit the gore to stretch said definite amount.

6. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps providing a length of substantially inextensible tape having a bight intermediate its ends which initially shortens it a definite amount, the legs of the bight being temporarily secured together by a thread designed to break and release the bight-forming material when sufliciently stressed, the length of the tape, excluding the bight, being less than the desired distance between the lateral edges of the gore at the completion of the lasting operation and before the last is removed, uniting the ends of the tape to opposite lateral edges of the gore, lasting the shoe and, during lasting subjecting the tape to such longitudinal stress as to break the bightretaining thread.

'7. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps causing-the opposite lateral edges of the gore, adjacent to the upper edge of the latter, to approach each other by a predetermined amount, thereby to cause the gore to bow outwardly between said lateral edges, lasting the upper while restraining said lateral edges from moving apart, and thereafter releasing said lateral edges from such restraint.

8. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps so associating and connecting a substantially inextensible elongate flexible restrainer with the gore and upper material as to cause the gore to bow out between its points of connection to the restrainer, lasting the upper with its gore and restrainer, and thereafter removing substantially all of the restrainer,

between its points of union with the upper material and gore.

9. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps causing the opposite lateral edges of the gore, adjacent at least to the upper edge of the latter, to approach so that the gore bows outwardly between said lateral edges, and preventing separation of said lateral edges by means of an inextensible restrainer united to the gore adjacent to said respective edges, lasting the upper with the gore still under restraint thereafter removing the restrainer,- at least between its points of connection to the gore.

10. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps providing a substantially inextensible flexible elongate restrainer having index means spaced apart a distance less than thedesired spacing of the edges of the gore in the completed shoe, so uniting the end portions of the restrainer to the gore at the points indicated by the index means that the gore is caused to bow outwardly between said points of union a predetermined degree, lasting the upper with its gore and restrainer, and thereafter removing substantially all of the restrainer between its points of union with the gore.

11. Method of making footwear wherein the upper includes a gore of elastic fabric, said method comprising as steps providing a substantially inextensible flexible elongate restrainer, disposing said restrainer in face-to-face contact with the gore so as to extend transversely of the latter, uniting the ends of the restrainer to the gore near the opposite edges respectively of the latter, forming a bight in the restrainer such as to draw its ends toward each other and thereby cause the gore to bow outwardly between its points of connection to the restrainer, so securing the legs of said bight as to prevent the restrainer from resuming its original length, lasting the upper with its gore and restrainer, and thereafter removing substantially all of the restrainer between its points of connection to the gore.

12. That step-product in the manufacture of shoes which comprises an upper including an inserted elastic element containing rubber threads and an elongate substantially inelastic restrainer element associated with said elastic element and extending substantially in the direction of stretch of the latter, said restraining element being united at its opposite ends to the upper at points adjacent to the opposite edges respectively of the elastic element, one of said elements extending substantially straight from one of said points of union to the other, while the second of said elements is of a length, between said points of union, greater, by a predetermined definite amount, than the straight line distance between said points of union.

13. That step-product in the manufacture of shoes which comprises an upper having an inserted gore of elastic material, and a restrainer in the form of a length of substantially inextensible tape having a bight intermediate its ends, the legs of the bight being united by a frangible thread, the ends of the tape being secured to the upper and gore adjacent to the opposite lateral edges of the latter, the initial effective length of the tape being less than the distance between the securing means at the lateral edges of the gore when the gore is stretched and the frangible thread being of such strength as to break when the gore is stretched during the lasting operation thereby to permit the restrainer to elongate to a definite degree during lasting.

14. That step-product in the manufacture of shoes which comprises a shoe upper having an inserted elastic gore, and a substantially inextensible restrainer tape having its ends united to the gore adjacent to oppositelateral edges of the latter, the length of the tape being such that the gore is bowed outwardly between said lateral edges.

ALBERT F. BANCROFI.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,2hlJ4hO. May 15, 19m.

ALBERT F. BANCROFT.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, first column,nlines 61 and 62, claim5, strike out "distance between'the connecting means at the eral" and insert instead --canprising as steps connecting the opposite lateral-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same mayconijorm to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this' 21 th day of Jnne, A. D. 1911.1.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) ActingCommissioner of Patents. 

